


I Will Call You Home

by ghost_like



Series: VIXX Dragon Age AU [3]
Category: VIXX
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Closure, Dragon Age Lore, Family, Fantasy, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-31
Updated: 2019-05-31
Packaged: 2020-03-30 21:24:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19035862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghost_like/pseuds/ghost_like
Summary: It's never pleasant to dredge up past pain but, sometimes, it's necessary.





	I Will Call You Home

**Author's Note:**

> this is 14k words long and it's somehow still a rushed mess and i'm so sorry. i'm very discouraged with my writing lately and while i tried very hard, this was the best i could manage. i'm really sorry.
> 
> the title is from a dalish lullaby called "mir da'len somniar", you can find the lyrics and some fan-made versions of it on youtube. i almost went with the elvish translation of it, but i didn't like how it looked (it would be "ara ma'athlan vhenas", if you were wondering.)
> 
> i hope you enjoy this hot mess~💕

✶

 

When Hakyeon opened his eyes, it took him a few seconds to realize he wasn’t still dreaming. The room was wide and bright with sunbeams that streamed in from the tall windows, filled with the scent of flowers. He was comfortable and warm, arm loosely thrown around Taekwoon’s middle - Taekwoon, who was still sleeping all curled up against him like the big baby he was, black hair stark against the white of the pillows.

He couldn’t help but smile, reaching up to run his fingers gently through Taekwoon’s hair; he didn’t wake up with the touch, but he did make a soft little grumbling noise in his throat and snuggled closer to Hakyeon, which only made his smile grow wider.

Hakyeon indulged in staying in bed a bit longer, something that was becoming his favorite habit as of late, before he finally mustered the willpower to get up and start his day. He made sure to close the curtains to block some of the light before he left the room, knowing Taekwoon liked to sleep until a little later in the morning, and leisurely made his way to the adjacent washing room.

The estate Sanghyuk had gifted them was— Not exactly what they had envisioned for their home. It was huge, far too big for only the two of them, which took a lot of getting used to on both their parts, but they were making it work. Somehow.

It was a work in progress. They only used about a third of the space in the estate, the rest of it still a blank canvas of possibilities; they used the kitchens, the master bedroom and washroom, and the main living area. Hakyeon used the ballroom as his dance studio, the perfect place for him to practice his routines, and Taekwoon had taken a liking to the inner courtyard and the large weeping willow that sat right in the middle. They used the gardens in the outer side of the estate too, mostly Hakyeon - he’d brought over all the plants he kept in his apartment in Cumberland, had taken upon himself to fill the place with flowers and useful herbs, and that was where he spent most of his time.

The rest of the estate, the other several guest bedrooms, the study, the drawing room, servants’ quarters, all of it was just… Sitting there. Empty, waiting to be assigned purpose. Hakyeon figured they would come in handy whenever their friends came over for a visit, and also if - when - they followed through with their plans of starting a family of their own, but for now it was all just extra space they chose to ignore.

It was still better than staying at Castrum Draconis, though; while Hakyeon was more accustomed to being in ‘fancy’ places than Taekwoon, being at the home of the Nevarran royal family was still very overwhelming. Hakyeon liked comfort, sure, but there was a limit.

Their new estate was working fine for both of them, luckily. Hakyeon enjoyed how open and light it was, the possibilities they could explore, and Taekwoon was happy with the isolation of it, that they were surrounded by forest on every side, that he could run off and go hunting or whatever it was Taekwoon did whenever he decided to trek into the wilderness. More often than not he’d come back with something for dinner, so it was probably hunting. 

Things were good. Great. After months traveling all over Nevarra, it was nice to settle down somewhere and rest. It was nice not having to run for their lives. 

Hakyeon was working on the garden outside, and by then it was late morning, the sun high in the sky. Fear and Deceit were perched at the top of the gilded gates, grooming their feathers, and Taekwoon had yet to make his appearance. He was likely still asleep.

He was distracted, humming a song under his breath as he plucked some weeds from the dirt patch, getting the soil ready to receive new seeds, when Fear and Deceit began cawing from where they sat. Hakyeon frowned and looked up, shielding his eyes with one hand to try and look for whatever the demons were seeing. It only took him about two seconds to locate it, the tiny black dot in the sky approaching the estate. A raven, then, and chances were high that it hailed from the capital.

Hakyeon rose to his feet and took off the thick gloves he was wearing, leaving them near the rest of the gardening tools before he approached the gates. The raven dove from the sky moments later, coming to perch on Hakyeon’s waiting arm. Fear and Deceit, still sitting atop the gates, didn’t look impressed.

Hakyeon stroke the raven’s back as a form of welcome and brought it inside, to the kitchens, where he offered it some water and food before he finally retrieved the message tied to its leg. He unrolled it carefully, the parchment thin and delicate, and right away he recognized Hongbin’s tiny, neat handwriting. He held his breath as he read the message, his mouth going dry with the many emotions that hit him - joy, anxiety, anticipation, concern.

Hakyeon hurried to find a clear piece of paper and a quill, quickly writing Hongbin a message of gratitude which he attached to the raven’s leg; the bird would leave through the window once it was done resting, so Hakyeon didn’t bother doing more than that before he all but ran to the bedroom.

He found Taekwoon still sleeping, the sheets all tangled around him, and couldn’t help but smile. Asleep, awake, Taekwoon always found a way to pluck at his heartstrings.

For all that he was planning to wake Taekwoon up, Hakyeon still approached as silently as he could, sitting down next to Taekwoon with all the care in the world, before leaning in to call in a soft voice, “Taekwoonie? Baby, wake up.”

Taekwoon shifted, hiding his face against the pillow, and grumbled something under his breath that sounded like Elvish. Hakyeon had no idea what he said, but he assumed it was something akin to ‘five more minutes’.

He didn’t let Taekwoon’s adorableness stop him and leaned further over Taekwoon, one of his hands coming up to stroke his hair. “Come on, Taekwoonie, I have something important to talk to you about.”

That got Taekwoon’s attention and he minutely turned his head towards him, revealing one half-open eye watching him with suspicion. “Something important?”

“Yes,” Hakyeon confirmed, simple. “And it’s almost noon already, sleepyhead, time to get up.” Taekwoon grumbled something unintelligible again and pulled the sheets up to cover his face. Hakyeon chuckled through his nose and tugged at the sheets, with force enough just to tease Taekwoon and not to fully pull them away from him. “Get up, baby. I’ll make you something to eat, so hurry up, ok?”

Pressing one last kiss to the exposed top of Taekwoon’s head, Hakyeon got up and made his way back to the kitchen. The raven was still there, grooming its feathers on the windowsill, the food Hakyeon had left out for it gone, not a grain left behind. Poor thing must have been famished to finish it all so fast, and the only thing that stopped Hakyeon from giving it more food was knowing that he shouldn’t overfeed message birds. He left the raven to its business and set out to get some breakfast for Taekwoon.

Hakyeon found that he liked it, playing housewife. Househusband? Or not, since they weren’t married (yet). Housepartner? Housesignificantother? Whatever it was, he liked it. He liked having a place to call his own, he liked having someone around to spoil and spoil him in turn, he liked to share his days with someone who wanted the same things as he himself did. He never thought it was something he would ever want, not back when he was a Raider and even after when he became a performer - freedom to come and go as he pleased and settling down to start a family weren’t exactly similar. He liked the stability, though. Liked knowing there was a place to come back to, someone who would be waiting for him there.

Taekwoon, for all intents and purposes, seemed to be of the same mind. That place offered them a compromise between their very different lifestyles and upbringings - it offered Hakyeon the structure of an actual house, and it offered Taekwoon the option to venture out of it, no people to judge him and hold him to their standards and prejudiced opinions. The estate, despite not being perfect, not their ideal home, was— It was like their needs met in the middle and came together to make it work.

By the time Taekwoon finally emerged, the tips of his hair wet signaling he’d leaned over the water basin to wash his face, Hakyeon had already prepared him something to eat - fruit, mostly, along with a cup of milk and a cut of bread. Their bread was running out; he made a mental note to go buy some more in the nearby settlement later.

Taekwoon shuffled over to the chair and plopped down on it, staring up at Hakyeon quizzically with his face still puffy from sleep. Hakyeon made a gesture with his hand, encouraging him to eat, and Taekwoon, sighing with how long Hakyeon was taking to start talking, did as told and began to eat his food. It was a deliberate choice - Hakyeon didn’t know if Taekwoon would have an appetite once he told him of the message, and he’d rather know his love had eaten something in the case he got too upset to eat later.

Only when Taekwoon was about halfway done with his breakfast, Hakyeon began talking, “Uh... So, when we were at Castrum Draconis, I asked Hongbin to look something up for me.”

Taekwoon looked up at him midchew, cheeks puffing out with the food that was in his mouth. Cuteness aside, his eyes could only be described as ‘cautious’. “What?”

“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” Hakyeon scolded, half-hearted, and Taekwoon rolled his eyes but swallowed his food anyway. “I— Ok, don’t be mad.”

Taekwoon grew more suspicious at that. “Why would I be mad?”

Hakyeon opened his mouth to reply but closed it again, instead walking around the table to sit down on the chair right beside Taekwoon, who was still staring at him like a particularly wary wildcat. Once he was comfortable, Hakyeon took a deep breath and said, “I asked Hongbin to— to find your sisters.”

Taekwoon’s expression changed immediately. His face dropped, lips parted in a silent gasp, his eyes went wide and sorrowful. Hakyeon almost regretted his request.

Almost.

“Hear me out,” Hakyeon hurried to say, placing one hand on Taekwoon’s arm. “My intention with this was not to hurt you, you know I don’t ever want to hurt you in any way. I just thought that you’d like to know if they’re alive and well, it doesn’t mean we have to go look for them.”

Taekwoon didn’t answer; he only continued to stare at Hakyeon, like he was speaking a language Taekwoon couldn’t understand.

“They’re alive, Taekwoonie. All three of them, look,” Hakyeon continued, agitated with the lack of response, and pulled the message from his pocket to pass it over to Taekwoon. “See? He found them and they’re alive, honey. It’s good news.”

Still no answer; Taekwoon merely looked down at the message, eyes glazed, face pale. Hakyeon could feel him shaking under the fabric of his shirt. 

“I’m sorry for not talking about this to you sooner,” Hakyeon went on. “I didn’t want to raise your expectations in case he didn’t find them or if he found something bad, but— I’m sorry.”

Taekwoon still didn’t react for several seconds, and this time Hakyeon decided to keep his mouth shut, allow Taekwoon a moment to process the information. He shouldn’t have just dropped the news on him like that, he should have inched towards the subject with more care, thought about what to say for more than five seconds.

Finally, Taekwoon moved, his first action being to push his bowl of half-eaten food away. At least Hakyeon had been correct on his assumption Taekwoon would lose his appetite. 

"They're alive?" Taekwoon asked, voice so soft Hakyeon had to strain to hear him.

"Yes!" he answered, reaching out to grab one of Taekwoon's hands. "They're alive, all three of them."

"Are they— Happy?"

Hakyeon's excitement died down at the question and he deflated on his chair. "I don't know." The reply was honest, even if it wasn't an easy one to give. "I only know they're all alive and where they are."

Taekwoon looked down at the floor, expression hard to read. There was just so much there, so many conflicted emotions, and Hakyeon knew it would take some time for Taekwoon to finally decide which was the dominant one; Hakyeon dearly hoped it was positive, and not anger or hurt. He would settle for even relief.

"Taek... We don't have to seek them out," Hakyeon repeated, suddenly feeling like it was something Taekwoon needed to hear, to understand. "We have the information, but that doesn't mean we have to use it. It's up to you to decide what to do with it, we can even burn it if that's what you think is best." He gave Taekwoon's hand a squeeze. "I didn't mean to hurt you by doing this, baby. This is— I thought you needed closure. I know how hurt you were and still are by everything that happened, and I— I wanted to help."

"I know, vhenan," Taekwoon replied in his small voice. It was shaky, unsure, but he did squeeze Hakyeon's hand back. It was a start. "I know you wouldn't hurt me deliberately.”

Hakyeon couldn’t help himself - he stood up and gathered Taekwoon in his arms in a tight, protective hug that had Taekwoon’s face pressed into his chest almost uncomfortably so. Taekwoon didn’t complain, though, he only wrapped his own arms around Hakyeon’s middle and let himself be coddled.

“I love you so very much,” Hakyeon said into Taekwoon’s hair, his eyes closed. “It’s not my place to decide things like this, I know it isn’t, but I want you to be happy and this— I think you need this. It’s up to you in the end, you don’t have to take my opinion into consideration.”

Taekwoon’s first response was to scoff. “I always take you into consideration, that includes your opinion.”

“Well,” Hakyeon said, trying to disguise how happy he was to hear that, “ _ this _ time you should decide based on nothing more than what  _ you _ think is best for yourself. I’ll support your decision, whatever it is.”

There was a long moment of silence, during which Hakyeon only held Taekwoon tight and stroke his back, trying to will the tenseness out of his body. He should really,  _ really _ have thought on how to introduce the subject for longer, maybe Taekwoon wouldn’t have been so shocked from the get-go if he had been more careful.

Alas, it was too late.

“I’ll think about it,” Taekwoon finally said, a drawn-out exhale accompanying the words.

Hakyeon only held him tighter, and decided it was good enough that he would at least consider it. 

 

✶✶✶

 

Taekwoon did think about it. He thought about it nonstop for several days, in fact. He discussed it with his mentor in the Fade and he talked at Fear and Deceit about it - talked  _ at _ them because they were demons and wouldn’t reply, not in a way that would be any useful. Demons were very good for espionage, could relay information well, but they were as good in a conversation about emotions as an empty seashell.

Hakyeon’s opinion, which he hadn’t wanted to be a factor on Taekwoon’s decision, was the very thing that tipped the scales; Taekwoon had never been very good at making decisions for himself. He was used to having the decisions made for him, used to never having any control over the turns his life took. Having been alone for so long, he never truly had to make that many choices - any decisions he took during that period of his life were those based on necessity. Go to this place for shelter or stay and get rained on, don’t eat now or you won’t have anything to eat later. Straightforward and simple. Survival.

There was nothing simple about this decision.

His sisters had been his world once and they had all left him. Woori, most of all, left a painful wound in his heart that refused to heal even years later; he could understand Sojin and Yoojin for leaving, because they weren’t given a choice, but Woori— She left because she wanted to. And he didn’t fault her for wanting to leave, he’d wanted to leave too. The issue there, the reason why he couldn’t let it go, was that she never came back for him like she promised.

He wanted to know why. He considered, many times, searching for her in Fade, reaching her through dreams, but fear stopped him. As much as he wanted to know Woori’s reasons, a part of him was afraid of hearing the truth, but— 

_ All three of them are alive _ , Hakyeon had told him. All three of them, so that meant Woori was alive too. If she had somehow died a little after she left the clan, he would have been able to finally let that pain go, but she was  _ alive _ \- why didn’t she come back for him? He’d waited for years and she never came back, and the more he thought about it, the more certain he was he wouldn’t like the answer.

Taekwoon wasn’t good at confrontations, avoided them as much as he could, but Hakyeon was right when he said this was something Taekwoon needed. His sisters leaving him, especially Woori— it shaped his entire life and how he related to people. Being left behind was what he had grown used to, and that was no small part due to what happened in his early years, with the people he loved the most in the world, trusted the most.

Even now, over a decade later, as a grown man who had seen and done so much in his life, he was still constantly walking the tightrope of wanting to trust people and never being fully able to, stuck there in the middle because falling to either side was terrifying.

And even with Hakyeon— he trusted Hakyeon, yes, but there was still that voice in his head telling him that, the moment he did something wrong, Hakyeon would up and leave too.

That, too, influenced his decision. Hakyeon said he would support whatever choice Taekwoon made, but Hakyeon was of the opinion that Taekwoon should agree to looking for his sisters. There was a part of him that didn’t believe Hakyeon, a part of him that was sure that Hakyeon would not support him, that he would be disappointed in him, and that this disappointment would be the first rock to fall before a landslide.

Or, well— Not the first rock. He had said no Hakyeon’s physical advances before, and he had expressed his dislike towards Hakyeon’s apartment in Cumberland. The number of disappointments was starting to build up, and Taekwoon didn’t want to contribute to its growth.

However, at the same time, he was getting very tired of walking on eggshells. A wicked, rotten part of him wanted to push back, defy for the sake of defying, and see if Hakyeon would change how he treated him in any way. If he would leave, if they would fight, if Hakyeon would try to correct Taekwoon’s behavior and make him act the way he wanted Taekwoon to.

He didn’t think Hakyeon would do such a thing, but— he wondered.

And maybe it would be better to know sooner rather than later, before Taekwoon had truly allowed his roots to tangle with Hakyeon’s, when leaving would be more difficult. The loss would certainly break what was left of his heart, but there was still a chance to salvage at least a little part of it. The clock was ticking, though.

Hakyeon was beaming when Taekwoon relayed his decision to him -  _ yes, I want to find them _ . He was still beaming when Taekwoon gave him his terms, of how they would turn back immediately if Taekwoon changed his mind, no matter what point in their journey, to which Hakyeon agreed right away, no hesitation.

And just like that, they were getting ready to set out. It all felt so easy, though, so fast, and that part of himself that wanted to push and defy grew restless. It was too easy.  _ He  _ was too easy and he was tired of it.

Taekwoon was in the kitchen, sharpening their daggers for the journey, while Hakyeon busied himself with setting aside the food they could take with them, the items that would last. As he worked on the last dagger, one of Hakyeon’s, a lock of hair Taekwoon had brushed behind his ear came loose and fell over his eyes, forcing him to stop what he was doing so he could brush it back again. He made a noise of annoyance and Hakyeon, standing next to him, clicked his tongue and dropped the apple he was holding to come and fix Taekwoon’s hair.

“Here, let me help you with that,” he said, pulling back some of Taekwoon’s hair to braid it loosely. It only took a few seconds. “This should keep it in place for now.”

“I should just cut it off,” Taekwoon grumbled, not even noticing he was pouting. Hakyeon, on the other hand, noticed and cooed at him, because of course he did.

“Nonsense, your hair is so beautiful, honey,” Hakyeon said, running his fingers through the hair that had remained loose. It was going past his shoulders now. “I can fix it for you later before we leave, so it won’t fall on your face anymore.” A pause, and he added, “Or maybe I could find you a nice headband?”

The look of distaste Taekwoon gave Hakyeon must have been truly something, because Hakyeon broke down laughing at it. Well. At least he made Hakyeon laugh.

It was a couple of hours later, after Taekwoon had finished his bath and was staring into the oval mirror that hung on the wall of the bathroom, that the thought came to him. Defy. Hakyeon wanted him to keep his hair long like that, and while Taekwoon wouldn’t particularly mind keeping it long, he wanted to push. He wanted to go against Hakyeon just to see if he would be truly alright with it. It wasn’t good to test his love like this, he knew, he knew he should trust Hakyeon, but he needed to know. He needed to be sure.

It was just hair. It would be disappointing to Hakyeon, but it wouldn’t anger him to the point of no return, so it was—  _ safe _ . A safe act of rebellion.

In truth, it was more impulse than a well thought out idea. One second he was staring at himself in the mirror, the next second he was staring himself in the mirror with a dagger in one hand and a recently cut lock of his hair in the other. He was probably out of his mind - or at least he felt like he was. But he continued on, chopping lock after lock of black hair, watching it rain on the white stone floor as he sliced through the strands.

Once it was done, when he was staring at the veritable mess he’d made of his hair, was that it hit him that cutting his hair like that was a very,  _ very _ stupid idea. He looked— he looked absolutely ridiculous. What was he thinking, now how would he fix that before Hakyeon saw it and—

“Taekwoonie, have you seen the—” came Hakyeon’s voice from the door and Taekwoon froze, both of them staring at each other in complete silence for the next several seconds.

Taekwoon gulped, regretting his dumb actions with double the force, when Hakyeon stepped inside the bathroom towards him.

“Taek, what did you do?” was the first thing that came out of Hakyeon’s mouth once the initial shock passed. Taekwoon flinched, mostly out of fear of being scolded than for Hakyeon’s tone - he wasn’t screaming and he didn’t sound angry, just… Shocked. “You— Honey, your hair—”

“I’m sorry,” Taekwoon mumbled, shrinking his shoulders and ducking his head. Hakyeon tutted and approached him, those determined, sure footsteps of his, and came to a halt next to Taekwoon.

“Look at this, it’s all— choppy,” he said and then sighed, running his fingers through the mess Taekwoon had made of his hair. “I can fix it for you, I just need to get my scissors.”

Taekwoon looked up at him slowly, unsure and worried, like a dog who knows he did something bad and is awaiting punishment. “You— You’re not mad?”

“Of course I’m not mad,” Hakyeon responded as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “I’m sad because you know how much I loved your long hair, but it’s your decision to want to cut it.” Hakyeon sighed again, one of his hands coming to rest on his hip as he looked upon Taekwoon’s ‘work’. “I wish you had asked me to help, though.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You really have to stop apologizing, baby,” Hakyeon said, leaning forward to press a quick kiss on Taekwoon’s lips. “You have nothing to be sorry for, hm? It’s just hair, it’ll grow back.” He smiled, the weight on Taekwoon’s shoulders lifting as if by magic. Hakyeon had that kind of power, of making things be alright with just a smile. “You wait here now, I’ll go get the scissors to fix your new haircut. You look like you had a fight with a barber and lost.”

Taekwoon laughed at the comment as he agreed with a nod of his head, receiving one more kiss from Hakyeon before he turned and went to search for the scissors.

Taekwoon took a deep breath, allowing the tension to bleed out of him. Hakyeon wasn’t mad. He was disappointed, but he didn’t start treating him any different. He felt— a lot better now, knowing that Hakyeon meant what he said for certain. It was a stupid way of testing that out, but it worked.

Maybe he really could start being a little more assertive about his own wishes.

 

✶✶✶

 

“It’s so weird looking at you and your hair is not long,” Hakyeon commented suddenly, a couple of days into their journey.

They weren’t running for their lives anymore, had nothing in their possession that could get them in trouble, which meant they could travel using the main roads and make faster progress. They were already about halfway to the location where his second sister, Yoojin, was supposed to be, somewhere in the Fields of Ghislain, not far from the border between Nevarra and Orlais.

“I’m sorry,” Taekwoon mumbled, awkward, but Hakyeon laughed and shook head in dismissal.

“No reason to be sorry, I don’t mean it as a bad thing,” he explained. “I’m just not used to it yet, I always expect to see your hair as it was when I look at you but it’s— Not there. It keeps surprising me.”

Taekwoon brought his hand up to touch the tips of his fringe, now only long enough to reach his brow, just above his eyes. It was taking him some time to get used to it as well, so he could sort of see where Hakyeon was coming from. It was strange not feeling his hair on the back of his neck or brushing his shoulder, and it was even stranger not to have to worry about his hair hindering his vision.

Lowering his hand and looking over at Hakyeon, he asked, “You don’t like it?”

“I’m a firm believer you would look good even in a mohawk,” Hakyeon said a bit too seriously and Taekwoon couldn’t help but laugh. He wasn’t planning on wearing a mohawk anytime soon, but it was good knowing Hakyeon would still find him attractive. “I do like how it looks now, though.” Hakyeon reached up to run his fingers through the hair on the back of Taekwoon’s head, a mild smile on his lips. “It makes you look softer, somehow. It matches your personality.”

Taekwoon chuckled through his nose. “Implying I’m soft.”

“You’re the softest.”

“I’m not.”

“Yes, you are,” Hakyeon said, giggling, and pulled playfully at the tip of Taekwoon’s ear. “The more you try to deny it, the more you prove my point.” He moved his hand from his ear to hold Taekwoon’s own, lacing their fingers together in that automatic way that betrays a habit, something that always made Taekwoon’s stomach feel fuzzy. “Now,” Hakyeon said, more serious, “are you alright? You’ve been very quiet.”

Taekwoon gave him a half-hearted shrug in response, eyes on the ground as they walked. Hakyeon’s hand in his was a comfort, a reminder he wasn’t alone, but it didn’t ease his mind from all the heavy emotions he’d been dealing with.

“I’m nervous,” the admission came out of his lips easily, and the reason for that was because it was Hakyeon - being honest with Hakyeon was never difficult, no matter how hard it was for himself to process through his emotions. “What if they don’t want to see me? What if they don’t remember me?”

“Honey, they’re your sisters,” Hakyeon said, gentle, “of course they’ll remember you.”

“What if they’re happy and I ruin everything?”

“You can’t ruin anything for them even if you wanted to,” Hakyeon said and stopped walking, giving Taekwoon’s hand a tug to coax him to stop too and look at him. “Whatever happens, these are visits. We will go, we’ll see what we find, and we’ll go back to our lives, just like your sisters will go back to their own lives. If it’s positive, great, we can come back to visit them again, and if it turns out poorly, then we can walk away. Whatever happens, Taek, you’ll finally have closure. For better or worse.”

Taekwoon breathed in deep and slow, taking in Hakyeon’s words. He was right. Even if his sisters found his visit burdensome, they weren’t planning on staying for long. That journey was about finding answers, possibly reconnecting to his sisters, and not about rebuilding his life around them. He had Hakyeon, they had a home to return to, friends and plans for their future. Taekwoon had his own life already, and he was satisfied with it - he didn’t need his sisters to be always there to hold his hand anymore. The time for that had long passed.

If he wasn’t well received, it would still hurt - of course it would, how could it not? - but Taekwoon could walk away, this time  _ knowing _ . It was better to know, to be sure, than to spend the rest of his life wondering.

“And remember that you can call this whole thing off whenever you want,” Hakyeon said when Taekwoon took too long to respond. “No matter when, no matter for what reason, you just have to say the word and we’ll go home.”

Taekwoon nodded and gave Hakyeon a small smile. “I know. Thank you.”

Hakyeon smiled back at him, a much wider, brighter smile, and took Taekwoon’s face in his hands carefully. Looking right into his eyes, Hakyeon said, “Whatever happens, you are loved and you are wanted. Please, don’t ever forget that.”

Taekwoon swallowed down the lump in his throat and nodded again, gladly accepting the kiss Hakyeon pressed to his lips before they resumed their walking. 

 

✶✶✶

 

If Hakyeon wasn’t nervous when they first set out to find Taekwoon’s sisters, that changed the moment they spotted the bright red aravels in the distance, through the trees. He’d been confident so far, no doubt in his mind that Taekwoon would be well received and welcomed, but now— Now he was starting to have second thoughts.

The ‘what ifs’ kept coming to his mind, one toppling over the other - what if Taekwoon was rejected? What if they truly didn’t remember him? What if Taekwoon decided to leave Hakyeon and stay with his sisters instead?

It was a series of thoughts that unsettled Hakyeon deeply, no matter how prepared he was to allow Taekwoon to make his own choices. He had to be open to every possibility, and that included the chance of him losing Taekwoon. It would be bittersweet and tragically romantic, Hakyeon thought - Taekwoon was, without a shadow of a doubt, the love of his life. Losing him would tear him apart, but knowing Taekwoon would be happy, reunited with his family— it would be worth the pain.

Was he ready for it, though? He didn’t think he was.

Hakyeon liked to think of himself as a resilient person, but he hoped he didn’t have to put it to the test.

He also hoped Taekwoon wouldn’t have to put his own resilience to the test, hoped that his sisters wouldn’t turn him away. It was good for Taekwoon to have closure, but Hakyeon didn’t want the price of that to be Taekwoon’s happiness.

As they approached the clan, Taekwoon instinctively grabbed Hakyeon’s hand and coaxed him to walk behind him, taking a protective stance Hakyeon didn’t get to see much anymore, not since their quest to stop the cultists had ended. He didn’t question it - Taekwoon knew Dalish elves better than Hakyeon could ever hope to know, and if he felt the need to get defensive, then Hakyeon would trust his judgment. It did make him a little nervous, though.

Two elves armed with longbows approached them when they were about twenty feet away, one of them raising a hand to halt them. Taekwoon stopped walking and turned to Hakyeon.

“Let me do the talking,” he said, “we don’t know how this clan feels about humans.”

Hakyeon simply agreed; it was all he could do.

He hung back as Taekwoon stepped forward to meet the two elves, his head bowing respectfully once they were close enough. “Andaran atish’an.”

Hakyeon knew that to be a greeting - Taekwoon had taught him before, spent a considerable amount of time helping Hakyeon get the pronunciation right. 

“Andaran atish’an,” one of the elves replied, looking from Taekwoon to Hakyeon behind him, suspicion heavy in his expression.

“We mean no harm,” Taekwoon said, noticing the elves’ reservation. “I’m only looking for someone. Is there a woman here named Yoojin?”

“Yoojin?” the second elf echoed, exchanging a look with his companion before facing Taekwoon again. “That’s the Keeper’s First. What business do you have with her?”

“I’m her brother.” 

That surprised the elves, who again exchanged looks between themselves. After a moment, one of them said, “I will bring her here so she can attest to your claim herself.”

Taekwoon agreed to that and, once the elf had left, he returned to Hakyeon’s side. He looked pale, tense, and Hakyeon immediately reached out his hands to welcome him, comfort him. Taekwoon took his hands at once, squeezed them a little too tight.

“Are you alright, baby?” Hakyeon asked, peering up at Taekwoon with concern.

“I’m so nervous,” Taekwoon murmured back, barely finding his voice.

“It’s going to be ok,” Hakyeon said, firm, with conviction, trying to convince Taekwoon of it. It didn’t matter if Hakyeon had his doubts, Taekwoon needed to hear it. “Whatever happens, you’re not alone.”

“I know,” he said and tried to breathe; he was shaking so hard that even that was a struggle.

“Taek, look at me,” Hakyeon called, as gentle as possible, and Taekwoon raised his eyes from the ground to meet his. “Try to breathe with me.”

Taekwoon did so, following Hakyeon’s lead - inhale, hold, exhale, repeat - and after a few times of such he seemed to calm himself a bit, enough that he wasn’t close to crushing the bones of Hakyeon’s hands anymore. Hakyeon smiled at him, encouraging, and just then they heard footsteps coming their way and turned to face whoever it was.

The moment Hakyeon laid eyes on her, he could tell she was related to Taekwoon. She was tall for an elf, much like Taekwoon, and while her face was only vaguely familiar, she had an air about her, something in the way she moved, the way she carried herself, that gave Hakyeon the odd illusion that he was looking at the female version of his Taekwoon. Maybe it was her dark eyes, the taciturn expression on her face, the aura of indifference she exuded - all those were very Taekwoon, very close to the first impression Hakyeon had of him.

He knew better now, of course. Taekwoon was just a big softie that looked a little scary to the outsider. Certainly his sister would be the same way. 

Taekwoon stood frozen next to him, looking at the rapidly approaching woman. Her steps were fast and brisk, but even so, her movements were graceful, elegant. It reminded Hakyeon so much of Taekwoon he could laugh were he not so nervous.

The moment she laid eyes on Taekwoon, though, she stopped dead in her tracks and her eyes went wide. Hakyeon saw the exact second recognition flashed in her eyes, the emotions shifting in her face.

Taekwoon was in a much similar state. Hakyeon wanted to help, but what could he do? He couldn’t intervene in a moment that didn’t belong to him.

The woman, whom he assumed to be Yoojin, was the first to speak, and her voice came out shaky and unsure, “Taekwoon?”

He heard Taekwoon let out a heavy puff of air next to him, and Hakyeon didn’t know if he should interpret as relief or surprise or an elated mixture of both.

“Yoojinie—” Taekwoon said, voice breaking before he could formulate a sentence, but neither he or Yoojin seemed to care.

The next moment she was rushing towards him, eyes shiny with tears, and Taekwoon let go of Hakyeon’s hands to welcome his sister with a hug. Hakyeon stepped back, tearing up himself at the scene - he’d always been a crier, no reason to try and hide it.

Taekwoon held his sister for a long time; Hakyeon could tell they were talking to each as they hugged, but from where he was standing he couldn’t hear what it was. It was probably in Elvish, though, so he wouldn’t understand anyway. Besides— it wasn’t any of his business. He was curious, sure, but that was Taekwoon’s moment with his sister and Hakyeon was aware he was an outsider for it.

Taekwoon and Yoojin finally parted, and Hakyeon could see her smile, the tears that had run down her cheeks. She was cupping Taekwoon’s face tenderly with her hands, staring up at him in a mix wonder and joy, and Hakyeon could only imagine the feeling - the last time she saw Taekwoon, he was only a child. To see him standing there after all those years, a fully grown man over a head taller than her, the wonder in her eyes was most certainly justified.

Hakyeon turned away for only a moment to wipe away his tears with his thumb, and when he turned back around he was met with Yoojin eyeing him suspiciously. Hakyeon startled a little, but didn’t react more than that - he didn’t really know what to do in that situation.

Taekwoon noticed Yoojin’s eyes on Hakyeon and stepped in, putting himself halfway between them, and gestured for Hakyeon to come closer. Hakyeon did so warily, taking Taekwoon’s hand when he was close enough.

“Yoojinie— this is Hakyeon,” Taekwoon introduced him sheepishly.

Yoojin’s eyes narrowed slightly, scrutinizing Hakyeon for a second too long, before she looked up at Taekwoon with an obvious accusation in her eyes -  _ he’s human _ , was what she was probably trying to tell him with her eyes alone.

Even the way she didn’t talk much was similar to Taekwoon. Hakyeon would be reeling over it was he not growing concerned about her reaction to finding her long lost brother had a human lover.

Hakyeon shifted awkwardly where he stood, and said, “It’s nice to meet you. Taekwoonie missed you a lot.”

She stared at him for a long moment, and Hakyeon decided that she wasn’t like Taekwoon, scary but soft on the inside - Yoojin was downright terrifying and she was a mage, so— Hakyeon hoped she wouldn’t throw a fireball at his face. He felt like she could and would do something like that if angered enough.

Or, who knows, maybe she was soft, deep down -  _ way _ down. He would likely never find out.

“I missed him a lot, too,” she finally replied, her voice clipped. Turning to Taekwoon, she said, “Da’vhenan, tel garas andaran na falon. Shem'len lana'din.”

Hakyeon tried not to look as confused as he felt - he knew that ‘da’vhenan’ meant ‘little heart’, and that ‘shem’len’ was how Dalish elves referred to outsiders. ‘Falon’ meant friend, but the ‘din’ at the end threw him off a little. Didn’t ‘din’ mean ‘dead’? Was Yoojin going to kill him? No, she wouldn’t, Taekwoon wouldn’t let her—

“Sasae—” Taekwoon began saying, but Yoojin interrupted him with a firm shake of her head. Hakyeon was expecting Taekwoon to argue, but he ducked his head to agree with his sister and turned to Hakyeon, nudging him to walk away.

Hakyeon was suspicious, but went along with Taekwoon anyway. Once they were a few steps away, enough that they could speak in whispers and not be heard, Hakyeon asked in a low voice, “What’s wrong?”

Taekwoon hesitated for a moment before replying. “You are not allowed in the clan.”

Hakyeon’s spirits dropped. “Oh.”

“I don’t want to cause trouble and push their rules. We can go if—”

“Taek, no,” Hakyeon quickly said, grabbing Taekwoon’s hands and lacing their fingers together. “Go spend time with your sister. I can wait.”

Taekwoon immediately shook his head. “Hakyeon—”

“ _ Go _ ,” Hakyeon interrupted him again. “This is about you reconnecting with your sister, it’s not about me. I came along for moral support.” He gave Taekwoon a cheeky grin. “I can win her over later, I’m charming enough.”

“It’s not fair,” Taekwoon argued, making the cute little pouty face he made when he was upset. Hakyeon cooed at him and kissed his cheek.

“I just told you, this is not about me,” he repeated. “Go with your sister, catch up, have fun. I’ll make camp further down the trail and wait for you.”

Taekwoon looked at him, still not entirely convinced. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, I am.”

Taekwoon stared at him for a few seconds longer before he sighed, defeated. “Fine. Fear and Deceit will stay with you.”

“Oh? You’re not introducing them to your sister?”

Taekwoon shook his head. “No. I don’t want her to know about—  _ That _ . Not for now, at least.”

“Alright, I’ll babysit them for you then,” Hakyeon quipped, and Taekwoon scoffed.

“They’ll be the ones babysitting  _ you _ .”

“Rude,” Hakyeon said and pinched Taekwoon’s cheek in retaliation. “Now go, your sister is glaring at me and I’d rather not get fireballed in the face.”

“She’s not going to fireball you,” Taekwoon muttered as he rolled his eyes, but placed a kiss on Hakyeon’s forehead in parting regardless. “I won’t be long.”

“Take all the time you need, honey.”

Taekwoon hesitantly stepped away, giving Hakyeon a last look of concern that was met with an encouraging smile, before he returned to his sister’s side. Hakyeon stood there and watched them go, waving to Taekwoon one last time before he entered the clan and was out of sight.

He didn’t waste time after that, afraid of angering the elves if he loitered around too long, and swiftly turned on his heels and walked back down the path. Fear and Deceit, who had been perched atop a nearby tree, flew down to sit on each of Hakyeon’s shoulders when he walked by. At least he wouldn’t be completely alone.

He didn’t go too far, but he didn’t stay so close either - he was a good ten minutes walk down the path they had taken to get to the clan, close enough that Taekwoon could find him with ease, but far enough that the elves wouldn’t feel threatened by his presence. He made camp on a small clearing, and after that, there was not much else to do but wait.

He spent most of his time reading one of the romance books he’d brought along - it was about the forbidden love between an Orlesian duchess and a Fereldan peasant, so Hakyeon was  _ hooked _ \- but as the hours passed and the sun got lower in the sky, he started getting antsy. He tried to keep himself focused on his book, but that fear that Taekwoon wouldn’t come back began poking at the most sensitive spots of his heart.

Eventually, he gave up on the book, marking the page he’d stopped on and shoving it back inside his pack. He looked up, searching for Fear and Deceit on the branches of the tree he’d been leaning on, and found them grooming their feathers not too high up. They didn’t seem to be in a hurry, not in any way that betrayed that Taekwoon had called for them or was waiting, so Hakyeon used that as his proof that Taekwoon had every intention of coming back.

Even if he decided to stay with his (very scary) sister, Taekwoon would still be courteous enough to come over and let Hakyeon know. Hakyeon didn’t have to worry about being abandoned in the woods. No, sir.

Or did he?

No, he didn’t. Hakyeon took a deep breath, dug around his pack for his waterskin and took a few generous gulps to calm himself down. Everything would be fine, Taekwoon was probably distracted because of all the fun he was having with his sister. He would return soon.

The sun got even lower, the sky began getting dark.

He decided he should eat something, it was easy to get nervous on an empty stomach. He fished out some almonds he’d packed for himself - Taekwoon didn’t like those, for some reason - and tried to pretend everything was alright as he munched on them. Taekwoon would be back soon. At any moment now. Hakyeon wasn’t worried at all, just enjoying some almonds.

It was in the midst of telling himself that over and over again that he heard someone approaching and almost jumped out of his skin, his almonds flying all over such was his fright.

Taekwoon stopped dead on his tracks when Hakyeon yelped, staring at him in a mixture of amusement and apology. “Uh… Are you alright, Yeonie?”

“Taekwoonie—” Hakyeon started, voice a little high pitched, a little strangled. “Andraste’s holy buttcheeks, you scared the shit out of me.”

Taekwoon was biting his lips not to laugh as he finished making his approach and sat down on the ground next to Hakyeon. “Sorry, my heart, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s alright, honey,” Hakyeon said after taking a deep breath to calm himself. Turning to Taekwoon, he smiled and asked, “So? How was it?”

“It was— wonderful,” Taekwoon replied, and his eyes were shining so bright Hakyeon thought they were made of stars. He couldn’t help but to wrap one arm around his shoulders, pull him closer to himself. “She never forgot about me, Yeonie, and she’s happy. I met her fiancé and she invited me to their wedding.”

Hakyeon pressed a kiss to Taekwoon’s head, unable to contain his smile. This is all he’d wanted for Taekwoon, to reunite with his family, to be happy like that. “That’s great news, honey.”

“Yeah…” Taekwoon said, his voice dropping. “The only thing wrong is the way she treated you.”

Hakyeon shook his head, shifting around so he could kiss his love on the lips. “It’s fine, Taek. Like I said, this is about you reconnecting with her, I’m only here to support you.”

Taekwoon pouted, snuggling closer to Hakyeon so he could burrow his face into the crook of his neck. “I just wish she would give you a chance, she shut you off only because you’re human.”

“You can’t change someone’s perspective so fast, baby,” Hakyeon said, gentle, stroking Taekwoon’s hair slowly to soothe him. “I understand why she’s cautious of humans and I’m in no place to argue.”

“She could have trusted my judgment too.”

“Baby, no, don’t start thinking like this. Focus on the good things, hm?”

Taekwoon inhaled deeply and nodded after a moment. “You’re right.”

Hakyeon smiled down at Taekwoon, nudged his cheek with the tip of his nose, and asked, “Are you happy?”

“I am,” Taekwoon all but sighed the words. “So happy.”

“I’m happy that you’re happy,” Hakyeon said, kissing Taekwoon’s cheek repeatedly just to make him giggle. Pulling away for a moment to look at him, Hakyeon asked, “Don’t you want to go back and spend a little more time with her? I can wait.”

He said that, but he would really hate having to wait again. He would for Taekwoon; he would do anything for Taekwoon, truly, he would - but that didn’t mean he had to like it.

Luckily for him, Taekwoon shook his head the moment the suggestion came out of his mouth. “No. As much as I’ve enjoyed spending time with her, her clan is not very nice and I don’t want to be near them for too long. They’re very close-minded about humans.”

“Taek—”

“Let’s just go, Yeonie,” Taekwoon said, and unlike Hakyeon had been expecting, he was smiling when he sat back and looked at him. “I still have two more sisters to find.”  

 

✶✶✶

 

Taekwoon was in a very good mood. Better than it’d been in a long time, and while Hakyeon made him immensely happy, this happiness was different. It was the type of happiness that spoke of relief, liberation.

Yoojin didn’t forget about him. Didn’t hate him or wanted him to stay away. Even if Sojin and Woori rejected him, even if they turned him away, he would still have Yoojin and that was— It was more than he was expecting to have when they first set out on that journey. He had Yoojin now, could contact her any time knowing she would be glad to hear from him, could know how she was doing, if she was well, if she needed him.

Sure, there was the issue of Yoojin not being very receptive of Hakyeon, but Taekwoon— he didn’t give a nug’s ass. Hakyeon was  _ his _ boyfriend, the only person who had to like him was Taekwoon himself and the rest of the world could go and shove it.

Hakyeon seemed to be in a similar mood, all big smiles and playful elbow nudges that said ‘I told you so’. It felt nice, light, and Taekwoon’s cheeks hurt from smiling but he couldn’t keep himself from doing it. He was happy. So happy.

It had been a few days since they left Yoojin’s clan, had already walked over halfway to their next destination - Sojin and Woori’s location, according to Hongbin, was somewhere south of Perendale, northwest of Andoral’s Reach. They had found themselves a place to spend the night, the old ruins of what could have once been a military outpost - which Taekwoon actually recognized as an ancient elven structure that had been repurposed by humans, because that’s what humans did to everything not made by them; they just— moved in. He didn’t say any of that to Hakyeon, though. No reason to sour their good moods by recounting all the ways humans trampled over things that didn’t belong to them.

That, and Taekwoon was also too happy to care. Too happy to be angry over things long past, things he could not change. 

The night was growing late already. They had eaten, had already prepared everything so they could set out early the next morning, and were now lying side by side on their bedrolls, watching the stars above, the ones they could see through the large area on the ceiling that had collapsed who knows how many centuries ago. Summer was inching towards its end, towards Fall, and the night was comfortably warm, the breeze that blew through the cracked walls of that building cool and refreshing. He had Hakyeon’s arms loosely wrapped around him, his steady breathing pattern hitting the side of his neck in waves, and it all felt— right. Like he was exactly where he was supposed to be.

It was time to give his limits a push. He felt ready enough, wanted enough. Maybe not to go all the way yet, but— far.

He wasn’t sure how to go about it - it’s not like he could just blurt it out to Hakyeon out of the blue. Or, well, maybe he could, but he felt like it would be weird. Taekwoon took a deep breath to steady himself, try to get his thoughts back in a coherent enough pattern, and Hakyeon might have picked up on it, might have noticed how his heart was beating a little faster. Whatever it was that prompted it, Hakyeon shifted next to him so he could press a loving kiss to his neck, in the curve where it met his shoulder, and it was grounding, somehow; it eased something in him, reminded him that this was Hakyeon.  _ Hakyeon _ . It was  _ them _ .

Whatever happened, they would be fine.

After another deep breath, Taekwoon softly called, “Hakyeon?”

Hakyeon hummed inquisitively and raised his head so he could look at him, chin resting on his shoulder. Taekwoon met his eyes, face warm with shyness, and after a few seconds, Hakyeon appeared to have understood what he was trying to tell him, even if he hadn’t said anything.

“Are you sure?”

Taekwoon licked his lips, gone dry from how nervous he was, and answered Hakyeon’s question with a single brief nod of his head. He saw the way Hakyeon’s eyes widened just the slightest bit, saw his Adam’s apple bob up and down when he swallowed, how his lips parted and how his breath hitched.

After a moment of quiet surprise, Hakyeon mirrored Taekwoon’s action and nodded, just once. “If you change your mind—”

“I’ll tell you.”

Hakyeon stared at him for a moment longer, as if making sure Taekwoon was certain, before he shifted his position so he could comfortably kiss him. Taekwoon was used to Hakyeon’s kisses - which by no means meant he was ever bored of them, on the contrary - but this time it felt different, in a way. It was careful, tentative, reminiscent of the first few kisses they shared when they were still new to their relationship, were still figuring each other out. It wasn’t quite the same, as they were far too familiar with each other at that point, but it was similar enough that it felt like he was experiencing their first kiss again, a different first kiss but still theirs. He had no idea what that even meant, couldn’t elaborate the feeling even to himself, but he decided it wasn’t a bad thing. 

The tension bled out of him steadily as the kiss grew more passionate, deeper, and Taekwoon let go of his reservations, the reasons why that might go wrong, his insecurities, and allowed Hakyeon to take the lead. He could say no. He was allowed to and Hakyeon would respect him. He could go as far as his comfort allowed him to go.

Maybe not all the way, but far.

 

✶✶✶

 

The clan where Taekwoon’s oldest sister, Sojin, was living in was, according to Hongbin’s information, a few hours south of Perendale. Also according to Hongbin, Taekwoon’s youngest sister, Woori, was in that same clan as well. Hakyeon had been confident about Yoojin’s reaction to meeting Taekwoon again, and he was confident that Sojin would also be happy to see him.

Woori’s reaction, however, made Hakyeon nervous.

Taekwoon had been in high spirits since his meeting with Yoojin, but Hakyeon could tell that, the closer they got to Sojin’s (and Woori’s) clan, the more anxious he became. By the time they arrived, Taekwoon had taken to squeezing his hand and having trouble breathing much like he did the hours prior to meeting Yoojin - while Hakyeon didn’t mind, he still worried about his love’s well being. 

He comforted him to the best of his capabilities, but— he understood why he was so nervous and why Hakyeon couldn’t hope to truly help him. To be there, by his side, was all he could offer.

Their arrival to Sojin’s clan went about the same way their arrival to Yoojin’s clan did - two elves on guard duty halted them and approached to inquire about their intentions, Taekwoon again did the talking while Hakyeon hung back. They didn’t look as hostile against him as the ones in Yoojin’s clan, though; Hakyeon already liked that place much better.

Once Taekwoon mentioned his sister’s name, though, the elves’ reactions were more surprised and pleased than the stiff, wary reactions they’d gotten at Yoojin’s clan.

“Sojin? You know our Keeper?”

Hakyeon tried to hide his surprise, but he didn’t think he was too successful - Taekwoon’s sister was  _ the _ Keeper. Not the Keeper’s First, the  _ Keeper _ . That felt like something important, something that made Taekwoon’s status within the Dalish more important, like— like he was related to a noblewoman. Hakyeon knew that this was likely not how it worked within the Dalish community, but still. He felt like he was dating someone who had been an actual prince all along and he was just finding out about it. 

That was the closest Hakyeon had ever come to dating royalty.  _ Damn _ .

“Yes,” Taekwoon replied to the elves, “I’m her brother.”

“Her brother!?” the first elf, a woman whose arms looked strong enough to pick Hakyeon up and throw him across the forest, exclaimed. “Mythal’enaste, I’ll go get her to confirm this, wait a minute!”

She scurried away quickly into the clan, leaving the second elf, a man much shorter and with no muscle definition, behind. The elf shuffled awkwardly from one foot to the other, seemingly unsure of how to act.

“Uh… The weather is nice, huh?” the elf asked. Taekwoon tilted his head like a confused puppy, and the elf cleared his throat to cover up the embarrassing moment.

Hakyeon, filled with sympathy for the elf, stepped forward and said, “Yes, the weather’s lovely.”

The elf looked over at him and, unlike Hakyeon had been expecting,  _ beamed _ at him. “A-ah, yes! It hasn’t been so hot these days, it’s truly a blessing from the Creators! It was a very hot summer, our halla had a hard time. We had to take them all down to the river at least three times a day every single day, they were so uncomfortable!” The elf babbled on, and he talked  _ fast _ . Hakyeon had some trouble keeping up. “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t introduce myself, I’m being rude, aren’t I? My name is Changsub.” 

Hakyeon smiled at him; his enthusiasm was very endearing. “I’m Hakyeon. This is Taekwoon.”

“Aneth’ara!” Changsub replied. Hakyeon knew that to be an informal greeting for the Dalish. “You are the Keeper’s brother? Truly?” Changsub had turned to Taekwoon, brown eyes wide with awe. “She mentioned she had other siblings! Besides Woori, that is. Woori is a strange one, but she’s very nice. The Keeper is very nice too, she’s a great leader. I wish I could meet your other sister too, the Keeper talks about her a lot!”

Hakyeon felt Taekwoon go tense by his side and instinctively placed a hand on his lower back to show him he wasn’t alone. Seeing that Taekwoon was not in a position to speak, Hakyeon took the reigns. “She mentioned Taekwoon before, then?”

“Oh, yes! Quite often!” Changsub replied. “She’ll be very glad to see you, she’s missed you a whole lot.”

Hakyeon felt the change in the way Taekwoon was breathing under his palm, but had no time to address it; their attention all turned towards the rapidly approaching figures, one being of the muscular elven woman, and the other one someone he assumed to be Sojin.

She was shorter - much shorter - than Taekwoon and Yoojin, didn’t have the same regal air about her as they did, but there was something in her that reminded Hakyeon of Taekwoon regardless - not the aloof, cold Taekwoon he’d first met, but the warm, soft, loving Taekwoon Hakyeon now knew so well.

Sojin sprinted towards them the moment her eyes landed on Taekwoon, and Hakyeon could tell she was crying already before she ever reached them. Hakyeon stepped away just in time not to end up as collateral damage once Sojin all but tackled Taekwoon into a bear hug; for someone so small, Sojin obviously had some strength in her.

As he gave Taekwoon and Sojin a moment, Hakyeon looked around, searching - there was no sign of Woori anywhere. Was Hongbin’s information wrong? Had she left some time after Hongbin finished his search?

Standing closer this time than he had when Taekwoon met Yoojin, Hakyeon could hear the words being exchanged more clearly. He heard Sojin telling Taekwoon how much she’d missed him, how she never stop thinking about him, and again he was overcome with emotion.

Glancing over at Changsub, he found that he, too, was tearing up. He liked Changsub a lot.

Taekwoon and Sojin parted, and Hakyeon watched as she raised her hands to cup Taekwoon’s face lovingly, looking up at him with a gaze that was nothing but warm. “Creators, look at you,” she said, and her voice was as sweet as she seemed to be, “the last time I saw you were still a child, and now—” She hiccuped, interrupting herself, and shook her head as if trying to recover. “I’ve missed so much, you have no idea how much I regretted leaving you and the girls.”

“It’s ok, sasae,” Taekwoon said, gathering his sister in his arms again. “I’m here now.”

“I thought you were dead, da’vhenan,” she said into his shoulder, her voice muffled and wet. “I was told you were dead, but I always knew in my heart it wasn’t true.” She stepped back again, her hands falling from Taekwoon’s face to grab his hands instead. “You were always so strong, Taekwoon. I knew you were out there somewhere, I knew it, and now you’re  _ here _ .”

Taekwoon gave a mighty sniffle, crying like a child, and after a second to gather himself, said, “I almost didn’t come, honestly.” He looked over at Hakyeon, smiling at him through the tears as if Hakyeon had told the sun to shine for him; it made Hakyeon feel weak in the knees. “If I’m here, it’s thanks to him.”

Hakyeon would have started bawling like an idiot wasn’t he so nervous about Sojin’s reaction. Yoojin’s rejection was still fresh in his mind - if another of Taekwoon’s sisters didn’t accept him he had no idea what he would do, how terrible he would feel, how—

Before he managed to finish that train of thought, Hakyeon had been pulled by two surprisingly strong arms into what really  _ was _ a bear hug, Sojin that much stronger than she appeared to be. It took Hakyeon a few seconds to react, but once he recovered from the surprise, he hugged Sojin back too; Taekwoon was watching them looking like he was experiencing heaven.

“Thank you,” Sojin said next to his ear, her voice so heavy with emotion that Hakyeon almost broke down crying again. Their hug didn’t last as long as her hug with Taekwoon did, and soon she was stepping back so she could look at Hakyeon more carefully through teary eyes. “You must be held in high regards if you were able to get through to my thick-headed baby brother.”

That caused Hakyeon to bark a laugh of surprise, and he caught Taekwoon rolling his eyes from the edge of his vision. “I’m just very persuasive.”

“He talks a lot,” Taekwoon muttered next to them and Hakyeon turned to him, gasping in outrage.

Sojin only laughed at their exchange, shaking her head. “I can tell you two are very close.”

“Yes,” Taekwoon confirmed, peering at Hakyeon sheepishly from under his lashes, “we are.”

Sojin looked from one to the other and smiled, nodding briefly. “I see.” Turning to Hakyeon, she said, “I trust you already know, but my name is Sojin.”

“I’m Hakyeon,” he replied, bowing his head politely.

“It is very nice to meet you,” she said and, after wiping away her tears, she faced Taekwoon again. “Come now, we have much to catch up on.”

She hooked her arm around Taekwoon’s and began guiding him away towards the clan. Hakyeon stood there, unsure if he should follow or do as he did when they visited Yoojin and camp out some ways away to wait. He didn’t expect Sojin to turn back to look at him after a few steps.

“Aren’t you coming?”

Hakyeon was taken aback by the question and, vehemently ignoring the way Taekwoon was holding his obvious urge to laugh at him, followed them into the clan. Taekwoon held his hand once he was close enough, and despite his tear-stained face, he looked— happy. Hakyeon didn’t think he’d ever seen Taekwoon that happy before.

Sojin lead them through the passage Changsub and the strong-looking woman had been guarding - Changsub even gave them a little wave as they passed - and Hakyeon made sure to cling close to Taekwoon. He’d never been inside a Dalish clan before, wasn’t sure what to expect.

It wasn’t that.

When he thought of a Dalish clan, the image that always came to Hakyeon’s mind was of a strict, disciplined group of people with very clear roles - warriors who were always ready to fight, dangerous hunters sharpening their weapons, artisans focused on their craft. While he could see some of those things, a Dalish clan was— it was much like a small human settlement. There were children running around, older elves playing together and talking, groups laughing loud, mothers teaching their small children to walk, elders telling stories to the younger elves around the fire. 

It felt like a community, tight-knit and respectful. A place for everyone.

Maybe not for Hakyeon, though - he was happy enough to be allowed inside in the first place, he wouldn’t go as far as to think he would be welcome to stay.

Sojin led them to a large tent that sat somewhere in the middle of the clan, adorned with bright red fabrics; Hakyeon assumed it was the Keeper’s - Sojin’s - tent. It was open, though, the flaps tied up to allow anyone entrance. There was a low table and fur-covered cushions around it for sitting, and behind that, there were fabric partitions to keep Sojin’s private space, well, private. Hakyeon presumed it was her actual bedroom that was hidden behind the partitions, but he wouldn’t ask.

“Come, sit, sit,” Sojin said, gesturing animatedly at the cushions, “I’ll send for some tea. I think we have cake too, and where did Minyul go?”

“Minyul?” Taekwoon asked, unable to hide his curiosity.

Sojin laughed, covering her smile with one hand mischievously. “Oh, I didn’t tell you yet, did I? Minyul is my son, your nephew.”

Taekwoon stopped moving entirely like a wind-up toy that ran out of energy. Hakyeon bit his lips not to laugh.

“I think you broke him,” Hakyeon joked, giving Taekwoon a few pats on the shoulder. The expression of shock on his face was priceless, but Hakyeon still felt a teeny tiny bit bad for him.

“He’ll get over it as soon as he meets Minyul,” Sojin replied, stroking Taekwoon’s hair a couple times before nudging him to move. “Sit down, da’vhenan, you must be tired from your journey here.” Taekwoon blinked, still in a daze, but allowed his sister to push him down to sit on one of the cushions. Turning to Hakyeon, she said, “You too, make yourself at home.”

Sojin didn’t wait for either of them to reply and left the tent, leaving Hakyeon and Taekwoon to settle. Hakyeon eased his heavy pack from his back and left it on the floor, out of the way, before he sat down next to Taekwoon. Taekwoon barely reacted, like his mind had shut down, and Hakyeon laughed again as he took his hand.

“Honey, are you ok?”

Taekwoon slowly turned his head to face Hakyeon. “Hakyeon— I have a nephew.”

“Mhm, so I’ve heard,” Hakyeon said, fixing Taekwoon’s hair strands that got messy when Sojin ran her hand through it. Hakyeon wasn’t too worried - the shock would fade soon, and he was aware of how Taekwoon loved children from all the times kids had approached them during their travels. He would have no problems getting along with his nephew.

Hakyeon’s only concern was Woori and her glaring absence.

It didn’t take Sojin even five minutes to return and, when she did, the first thing Hakyeon noticed was the small boy she was leading by the hand. Taekwoon’s jaw dropped; it was a wonder it didn’t fall off his head completely.

“Minyul, this is your uncle Taekwoon,” Sojin said, crouching next to Minyul when they reached them. “He’s mamae’s youngest brother, I told you all about him, didn’t I?”

Minyul looked at Taekwoon suspiciously, but just as Hakyeon had predicted, the moment Taekwoon’s eyes fell on Minyul, his gears shifted from shocked to endeared and he smiled, eyes sparkling.

“Hello,” Taekwoon said in his usual ‘I’m talking to a child or a puppy’ voice.

“Go on, go with your uncle,” Sojin said, encouraging Minyul with a little push. The boy hesitated, but approached Taekwoon after a few seconds of indecision. “He’s a little shy.”

“So is Taekwoonie, they can bond over it,” Hakyeon quipped, getting laughter only from Sojin; Taekwoon was too busy trying to talk to Minyul.

“How old is he?” Hakyeon asked Sojin once she sat down next to Taekwoon.

“He’ll be five years old in a few weeks,” she replied, glancing at her son with pride in her eyes. “I wish you could meet his father, but he’s out on a hunting expedition and I’m not sure when they will be back. He’s the leader of our hunters, you see.”

“That’s a shame,” Hakyeon said, and he meant it. “I hope we have a chance to meet him next time.”

“I’m sure you will, now that I have my baby brother back I plan on keeping in touch and having you both over more often,” Sojin declared, smiling wide. “And there’s also Woori, she’ll be back soon.” Hakyeon tensed up a little at the mention of Woori, but Sojin didn’t seem to have noticed. “She fancies herself a hunter. She tried making a bow out of a staff a while ago, it was a disaster.” Sojin scoffed with a roll of her eyes. “Trying to impress her girlfriend who is  _ actually _ a hunter, you know how that goes. They went out to hunt for the clan’s supper, they should be returning by now.”

“Woori is here too, then?” Taekwoon asked, the first time his attention shifted away from Minyul since his arrival. Minyul had settled down next to Taekwoon, and was now playing with a leather string Taekwoon had around his wrist as if transfixed.

“Yes, she is,” Sojin confirmed, expression becoming a bit more serious. “You two must have a lot to talk about, I’m sure.”

Taekwoon lowered his eyes to the top of the table. “Yes, I suppose we do.”

“None of that, da’vhenan, there is no reason for the long face,” Sojin said, patting Taekwoon’s hand gently. “Now, tell me everything, what have you been up to this past decade?”

From there, the subject shifted into less painful areas and the atmosphere became lighter, more so when a young elven girl brought them a tray with cake and tea. Taekwoon told Sojin of how he met Hakyeon, the adventure they had gone through together - although he heavily omitted the parts concerning Dirthamen, Fear and Deceit - and he spoke of their friends and their new home. Sojin told them of her years as Keeper, how she had come to the role quite soon after her arrival at that clan; she told them of how she met the man who was now her husband and Minyul’s father, a tale so romantic it had Hakyeon sighing wistfully before it was even over.

Sojin was in the middle of telling them about how Minyul was learning to shoot a bow when a gasp followed by the sound of something falling to the ground startled them. Hakyeon’s head instinctively whipped around towards the noise, and was met with a young woman standing there, her eyes fixed on Taekwoon, her face pale as if she’d just seen a ghost, a basket that had once been filled with fruit on the ground before her.

Taekwoon, in turn, was staring right back at her looking just as surprised. Sojin, on the other hand, was smiling to herself as she sipped on her tea.

Minyul didn’t even notice anything, too interested in his cake. Good kid.

“Taekwoon,” the woman spoke, a sharp exhale, and Hakyeon finally realized that was Woori; he tensed up next to Taekwoon, concerned with what her next words would be, but she didn’t speak at all.

She ran towards him and tackled him to the ground, bawling her eyes out and holding onto him for dear life.

“I thought you were dead! Heejun said you were dead!” Woori cried, and Hakyeon realized what had happened the moment she spoke.

She  _ had _ gone back for Taekwoon, but it had been too late. He wasn’t there anymore.

And Hakyeon really,  _ really _ wanted to go all the way to Taekwoon’s old clan and kick that Keeper’s ass.

Hakyeon thought that he would get used to witnessing so many reunions, first Yoojin, then Sojin, but he found himself tearing up yet again as he watched Woori babble about how much she missed Taekwoon and how sorry she was she didn’t go back for him sooner, how angry she was at Heejun for lying to her, how angry she was at herself for believing him. Taekwoon’s words were harder to make out with how hard he was sobbing, how every sound was muffled from how he had his face pressed against her shoulder, but from what Hakyeon was able to pick up, Taekwoon was - he forgave her.

Sojin was watching them with tender eyes, nothing but love in her gaze. Hakyeon couldn’t even begin to imagine how she was feeling, seeing her siblings reuniting, reconciling. 

It took Taekwoon and Woori a while to pick themselves up from the sobbing mess they had become, Hakyeon wiping away the tears from his own eyes as quick and subtly as he could. Sojin, more in control of herself, was the first to talk.

“Woori, can you take Taekwoon down to the stream? You two should wash your faces and have a moment to talk in private, I think,” she suggested, and both Woori and Taekwoon agreed without any fuss.

Taekwoon held Hakyeon’s hand for a moment, squeezing it just so, only a way of communicating he would be right back, before he allowed Woori to guide him outside. That left Hakyeon alone with Sojin and Minyul in the tent.

He stiffened where he sat once he realized it. Nice and welcoming as Sojin had been so far, she was still Taekwoon’s older sister and Hakyeon was— well. He was her baby brother’s lover. That made for a dangerous situation, specifically for Hakyeon.

Sojin must have noticed his unease, because she chuckled and said, “Easy, I’m not going to bite you.”

Hakyeon expression shifted, an awkward, crooked side smile that looked more like a grimace. “Sorry. It’s just— When we visited your other sister, Yoojin, she… She didn’t like me very much. I keep expecting that reaction now.”

Sojin chuckled through her nose and shook her head, taking a long sip of her tea before speaking again. “Yoojin was always the most close-minded of the four of us. Tradition was always important to her, and Dalish tradition speaks of making an effort to bring more Dalish elves into the world.” She paused during the time it took to place her cup back on the table. “You are not only human, but also a man. That’s already two strikes for Yoojin, none of which you can control for you didn’t choose to be what you are.”

Hakyeon shifted on his cushion, uncomfortable, out of place. He had figured Yoojin rejection had to do with the fact that he was human, but he hadn’t taken into account the other aspects of Dalish culture that could have influenced her immediate distaste. She had probably said something to Taekwoon about it. Taekwoon likely defended him - was that why they had left so early, why Taekwoon didn’t want to stay?

No, he couldn’t get to conclusions like that without consulting Taekwoon first. When they were alone again, then he would ask.

“That being said,” Sojin continued, “you will find no such resistance from either myself or Woori. It is plain to see that Taekwoon cherishes you very much, and I trust my brother’s judgment - if he trusts you, so do I. So will Woori.”

Hakyeon felt the burden lift from his shoulders and he exhaled slowly, letting all the tension out. “Thank you. I must admit, while I didn’t tag along on this journey expecting to be welcomed or even accepted, it’s good not to be turned away.”

“You make Taekwoon happy. That much is clear,” Sojin said and, to Hakyeon’s surprise, reached out to take his hand on her own. “Loving him, taking care of him when we could not— That makes you family.”

Hakyeon felt a swell of emotion, turning his hand around to hold Sojin’s hand back. He didn’t realize how much he’d longed for that acceptance until it had been given to him.

“Thank you, Hakyeon,” Sojin told him, eyes gleaming, a warm smile on her lips, “for taking care of my brother, and for coming with him all the way here. Thank you.”

 

✶✶✶

 

They ended up staying at Sojin and Woori’s clan for three days and two nights, during which they spent a lot of quality bonding time together - Taekwoon reconnecting with his sisters and getting to know Minyul, and Hakyeon getting to know all of them.

Hakyeon learned that Sojin truly was a warm, caring woman and an amazing Keeper; he saw her perform her duties with grace, treat her clan members with nothing but love and respect, solve disputes fairly. She reminded him a lot of his own older sister.

Woori, on the other hand, had an energy that closely resembled Jaehwan - a bubbly, charismatic personality, the type that couldn’t sit still for more than five minutes. She had a great sense of humor and a desire to see the world, learn new things, hear people’s stories and share her own. Woori was the type of person one can’t help but like, and Hakyeon had gotten very close to her being an outgoing, friendly person himself.

Taekwoon and Woori, most important of all, had cleared the air between them, and now both of them could begin healing from the hurt they had kept inside all those years.

That entire affair had been for Taekwoon’s sake, his happiness, his closure, but Hakyeon found that he, too, had gained a lot from their quest.

He looked forward to meeting them again - and maybe next time he would win over Yoojin as well.

Unlikely, but he could dream.

 

✶✶✶

 

Their journey back home was easy and fast, good weather following them all the way as if nature itself was in a good mood. Taekwoon felt light, light in a way he’d never felt before; he had his sisters back, all three of them, which was something he never thought possible. It wasn’t perfect, of course, since Yoojin had her reservations regarding Hakyeon, but that wasn’t an issue as far as Taekwoon was concerned. He had his closure, knew he could seek out his sisters if he wanted to and where to find them, and their opinion of Hakyeon and their relationship— he honestly didn’t care.

He was happy. Hakyeon made him happy and he liked to think he made Hakyeon happy too, so… His sisters could think whatever they wanted. He would not change to please them, knew he didn’t  _ have _ to change anything, the same way he knew he didn’t have to change himself for Hakyeon. He was enough, and maybe that’s the most important piece of knowledge he gained from that journey.

He was enough.

Hakyeon was in a cheery mood too, humming a song under his breath and swinging their joined hands between them as they walked side by side. Fear and Deceit were flying high above them, moving ahead on their own to scout the road and then circling back to catch up to them again. The atmosphere was peaceful - one or two hours more and they would be home.

Hakyeon stopped humming then, although he was still swinging their hands back and forth. “You know,” he began, “I keep thinking back on that dream I had, when we were in the Old God’s prison.”

Taekwoon didn’t have to ask for clarification - he thought about that dream often too.

“What about it?”

“Just— you know,” Hakyeon said, a shrug punctuating his words. “Thinking about making it come true someday. We could, right?”

“Of course,” Taekwoon replied, no hesitation.

“Not anytime soon, sure, but— someday,” Hakyeon added quickly, a bashful smile on his face. “I want to, but I think it’s too early.”

“Mhm, I think so too,” he agreed. “We still have much to settle. Our home is still not ready, for one.”

“And there’s that trip to Rivain to introduce you to my family to get out of the way as well.”

“Maybe we can start thinking about it more seriously when Jaehwan comes back.”

Hakyeon gave him a hard look. “ _ If _ Jaehwan comes back.”

“ _ When _ Jaehwan comes back,” Taekwoon insisted, firm, with conviction.

“Please, don’t ever talk like that in front of Sanghyuk,” Hakyeon said with a tired sigh. “Don’t raise his hopes.”

“Jaehwan is out there somewhere, Hakyeon,” Taekwoon argued. “I can hear his voice sometimes when I’m in the Fade. He’s alive and he’ll come home.”

“You can’t know that for sure, Taek.”

“But I do,” he continued to insist. “I know he’ll come back, in my heart, I know.”

“You’re too pure to handle,” Hakyeon said and pulled him to himself so he could press a kiss on Taekwoon’s cheek. “For Sanghyuk’s sake, I hope you’re right.”

“Can’t wait to see the look on your face when Jaehwan comes back and you realize how wrong you were.”

“Getting cocky, are we?” Hakyeon teased, nudging Taekwoon’s side playfully with his free hand. “I’m liking the confident side of you.”

“I thought you liked every side of me.”

“I do,” Hakyeon confirmed with a bright smile. “Even this side that talks back, I love it.”

Taekwoon chuckled and pressed a kiss to the top of Hakyeon’s head. “Good to know, I predict I’ll be talking back a lot more from now on.”

“That so?” Hakyeon asked, squinting up at him suspiciously. “Should I be worried?”

Taekwoon could only shake his head no, nuzzling Hakyeon’s cheek lovingly.

“Never, ma vhenan.”

 

✶

**Author's Note:**

> A DISCLAIMER BEFORE SOMEONE INEVITABLY COMES FOR ME, the choice of not specifying if they had sex or not was deliberate on my part, because i couldn't decide which option was best. so it's up to you to decide how far they go. i mean, if you want to try your hand at writing how that scene develops, by all means, go for it because i have no idea. it's up to your interpretation.
> 
> thank you so much if you've read this far despite how messy this is (i'm so sorry), and hopefully i'll see you on the next and last extra for this series 💕
> 
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/ghostlike91) | [tumblr](https://ghostlike91.tumblr.com/) | [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/ghostlike)


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